Surrogates are women who carry babies for people who long to be parents but who, for a variety of different reasons, may not be able to reproduce biologically. In some instances, this may be because a prospective mother has had a hysterectomy or is affected by a medical condition that may make pregnancy life-threatening. Gay men who want to become parents often turn to surrogacy as well since men having babies is physiologically impossible.
Surrogacy is a legal arrangement. In the United States, the legal processes associated with surrogacy differ from state to state. With surrogacy in Texas, if a validated gestational contract is entered into at least 14 days before an embryo is implanted within the surrogate mother’s womb, then the married couple for whom the surrogate is carrying the baby are the legal parents of that child.
With gestational surrogacy, you will not be genetically related to the baby you are carrying. The egg donation process will be carried out using another woman’s egg, which will be will be fertilized using an in vitro fertilization technique. The resulting embryo or embryos will then be implanted within your uterus, and you will carry the baby until he or she is born.
Gestational surrogacy is the most common arrangement because couples or single individuals who cannot carry a pregnancy to term often have a strong desire for a genetic relationship with the baby they will be parenting.
Helping a parent have the family that he or she has always dreamed of can be a rewarding process both psychologically and financially. However, there are many responsibilities associated with surrogacy. Most agencies impose certain requirements upon prospective surrogates to make sure they will live up to these responsibilities.
Most surrogacy agencies in Texas will only work with surrogates who are legal residents of the United States. It may be possible for a surrogate to reside in a different state than the intended parent or parents, depending upon the laws of the two states. You cannot be a surrogate if you’ve traveled to a Zika-infected country within the last six months.
Traditional surrogates must be between the ages of 21 and 35; gestational surrogates must be between the ages of 21 and 40. This is because the risk of miscarriage increases exponentially as women age. For women younger than 30, the risk of spontaneous abortion is under 8 percent. For women who are 40, however, approximately one out of every three pregnancies end in miscarriage.
You will need to be willing to submit to a thorough background check. Most agencies will not accept surrogates who have criminal records or who are receiving any form of government assistance, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aid. You must also possess a valid state driver’s license and have reliable transportation that will allow you to travel to all screening, matching, and physician appointments.
You will not be allowed to smoke or spend time in environments where secondhand smoke is an issue, and you are expressly forbidden from drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs for the duration of the pregnancy and delivery. This is to help ensure the safety and health of both yourself and the baby you are carrying, and to avoid the negative health affects of these substances.
Surrogacy agencies in Texas are required by law to work with women who have previously brought at least one healthy pregnancy to term. Intended parents are spending a great deal of money to make their dreams of parenthood come true, and without a history of uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, there is simply no way to predict whether you will be capable of giving birth to a healthy baby. Additionally, you will have no way to judge how you will cope with the complexities of pregnancy and labor unless you’ve experienced these processes previously.
If a prospective surrogate is married or participating in a close domestic relationship, most agencies will stipulate that the surrogate’s partner must be supportive of the surrogacy. That being said, you don’t need to be in a long-term relationship to be eligible to be a surrogate. As long as you have a strong group of family and friends that will support you throughout the process, you will fill this requirement.
You will need to make all your medical records available to the agency you hope to be working with, including records from all obstetricians who cared for you throughout past pregnancies. If you were receiving health care through Medicaid at the time of your pregnancy, you will need to fill out the paperwork that’s necessary to enable your agency to access your Medicaid records.
In addition to these general agency requirements, intended parents may have their own list of qualifications for surrogates. The agency you choose to work with will help match you with intended parents whose values and needs match yours.
While surrogacy can be a highly rewarding experience that will fill you with satisfaction and pride, it can also be a challenge, and you need to enter into surrogacy in Texas with your eyes wide open. For more information about the surrogacy process, contact our talented team at Simple Surrogacy.
Go backSurrogacy 101: Choose Your Agency Why Simple Surrogacy Should Be Your First Step Toward Parenthood Beginning the journey of surrogacy is a deeply personal and life-changing decision. Whether you’re a hopeful parent who has tried every avenue to conceive or…
Lern more →If you have had a hysterectomy, you might wonder: Can you have a surrogate after a hysterectomy? The good news is that you can become a parent through surrogacy after a hysterectomy, even if you no longer have a uterus.…
Lern more →When it comes to surrogacy, one of the most common questions intended parents ask is: Does insurance cover surrogacy? Surrogacy-related medical expenses, including the health of the surrogate and newborn, are often covered, but it depends on the insurance policy.…
Lern more →
